Charlie Manuel | Catcher

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According to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, Charlie Manuel will return to the Phillies as a senior advisor to the general manager.

This confirms a report from Brian Startare from 97.5 The Fanatic. Manuel was fired by the Phillies last August after posting a 780-636 record over nine seasons as manager, but GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. made no secret of the fact that he wanted to keep him in the organization. It's no surprise to see him return, as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported last month that Manuel was expected to take the Phillies up on their offer. Wed, Jan 15, 2014 01:26:00 PM

Although general manager Ruben Amaro is keeping his job even though he's to blame for the state of the Phillies' roster, it was probably time to make a change at manager, too. There's no doubt that Manuel had good times in Philly, though, going 780-636 with five first-place finishes, a 2009 National League Pennant and a 2008 World Championship. Third base coach Ryne Sandberg is taking over the job on an interim basis but seems likely to get the full-time job eventually. Manuel has been offered a job in the organization but hasn't decided if he'll accept it. Fri, Aug 16, 2013 02:39:00 PM

It's the logical move, as Sandberg managed the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate from 2011-12 before taking over as the third base coach for the big league club this season. The Hall of Famer has interviewed for other big league managerial posts in the past and was named Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America in 2011. He'll have a challenge ahead with much of the players on the Phillies' roster past their prime. Fri, Aug 16, 2013 02:05:00 PM

Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports that the Phillies will fire manager Charlie Manuel.

The Phillies scheduled a news conference for 2:30 ET Friday but didn't reveal the nature of it. However, Salisbury and others are hearing that Manuel is on the outs. He's presumably being fired, though given that he'll turn 70 before next season, it's possible he might be stepping down and moving on to something else. We'll know for sure shortly. Fri, Aug 16, 2013 01:39:00 PM

Depth Charts

Utley has been ramping up baseball activities since the All-Star break and is now ready to test things out in game action. He's hitting just .179/.257/.275 this season but reportedly discovered a mechanical flaw in his swing that he thinks was caused by his nagging ankle injury. Utley could be an August trade candidate if he turns things around at the plate.

The illness might explain Harrison's recent weight loss and lack of velocity. Harrison has only made nine starts over the last three seasons including three this year. He was shipped to Philadelphia Wednesday as part of the Cole Hamels trade. There's no timetable for his return.

"He’s not going to begin throwing for another three or four weeks," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro said. "He’s doing well. He’s in great shape. He’s taking care of himself, but he’s not really prepared to start throwing yet. We’ll see what happens over the next month or so. Probably in another month or so we’ll know a little more. Best-case [scenario] he’d be throwing right about now. He’s not ready to do it." Lee is still contemplating surgery on his left arm, a procedure that comes with a nine-month recovery period. Either way, it doesn't sound like we'll see the southpaw before 2016 at this point.

Jonathan Pettibone will undergo another operation on his right shoulder on July 22.

One shoulder surgery is bad enough, but this makes the road back to Philadelphia even more difficult for the 24-year-old. Pettibone first underwent shoulder surgery in June 2014 to repair a small tear of his labrum. The right-hander won't be back before 2016 at the earliest.

Chad Billingsley will travel to Los Angeles to have his elbow examined next week.

This has all the makings of a season-ending injury. Billingsley has had trouble staying on the field his entire career. He's made just nine starts since 2013 and another Tommy John surgery could put his career in jeopardy. The Phillies knew they were rolling the dice when they signed Billingsley last offseason. Fortunately for Philadelphia, it was only a one-year commitment.